Single Roundup - Week of Sept. 17

With new music emerging every week, the CommRadio Arts department will be taking a look at a handful of singles released each week. Here are our thoughts on four of the biggest tracks from the week of Sep. 17.

Cardi B – “Bodak Yellow [Remix]” feat. Kodak Black

Cardi B recently became the first female rapper since Lauren Hill to top the Billboard Hot 100 charts for “Bodak Yellow.” Originally Kodak Black’s “No Flockin,” the two decided to link up for an official remix of “Bodak Yellow” and it’s not good. Most of the song is dominated by Kodak Black and it is not at all what the record needed. Cardi B has this swagger about her that is prevalent all over the original making of this track and Kodak Black cuts into Cardi B time. She is proving to be one of the most prolific female rappers out right now and this track just gets in the way of that. The good news is this remix will likely receive little promotion from Atlantic because of how good “Bodak Yellow” is doing and a Cardi B album is supposed to be coming in October. – David Arroyo

Iglooghost - “Sōlar Blade”

The final pre-album release single from Iglooghost’s new album Neō Wax Bloom, “Sōlar Blade” is decidedly more fun than the two released prior. Whereas the first two singles hop between high tempo blasts and slowed down freak outs, “Sōlar Blade” follows a more traditional IDM formula that’s more inviting for those unfamiliar with Iglooghost’s style. The bass hits slower and heavier, which translates into a more danceable track. Iglooghost continues to prove that his unique style can be diverse enough to warrant a full length release and with “Sōlar Blade” being the last push needed to make Neō Wax Bloom one of the most provocative and exciting upcoming releases of the year. – Chandler Copenheaver

Kelsea Ballerini – “High School”

Kelsea Ballerini’s new single “High School” will have you taking a trip down memory lane to your high school days. It’s definitely a songwriter’s song with its strong lyrics that paint a familiar picture we see happen many times in life. High school football player and the pretty cheerleader date, breakup and while the girl moves on with her life, the guy never does and is still mentally stuck in high school. That’s the story Ballerini sings about saying, “‘Cause you’re growing up/ And the world gets cruel/ When you’re still living in high school.” But Ballerini says the song is more about her choice to leave high school and move to Nashville to chase her dreams then it is about a boy. It’s a slow, mostly acoustic tune that she wrote by herself that brings some uniqueness to the table by featuring sound bites of a high school football game in the background. “High School” is the most mature sound we’ve heard from Ballerini since she released her debut single in 2014 that became a number one single, making her the first female country artist to achieve that feat since Carrie Underwood in 2006. With this being the third single off her sophomore album Unapologetically releasing on Nov. 3, Ballerini shows us that she is growing as an artist and this album will represent that. - Lauren Smith

Baths - “Yeoman”

After four years of hit-and-miss side projects, Will Wiesenfeld returns for a full length Baths project on Nov. 17 with Romaplasm. The first single and opening track “Yeoman” previews a distinct shift in tone for Baths, eschewing the depressive tone of 2013’s Obsidian for a glitch-pop style steeped heavily in bright colors and an optimistic attitude. The track is noticeably less complex rhythmically and melodically than his previous releases, but builds upon the intricate layered sounds explored on Wiesenfeld’s earlier 2017 release Abysma under his side project Geotic. The synths and vocal effects feel more organic and warm than Baths has put to record before, showing a strong step forward for Baths’ sound. Baths has always been an emotionally honest artist and it seems with “Yeoman” he has found the formula to capture the happier side of the emotional spectrum with as much honesty as he did with the sadder spectrum on Obsidian. – Chandler Copenheaver